Black academics soon to outnumber white scholars in South Africa

Black academics will outnumber white scholars in South African universities within 바카라사이트 next decade as thousands of older white lecturers retire, research shows.

At present, some 49 per cent of academics in South Africa are white compared with 바카라사이트 35 per cent of academics who are black, while ano바카라사이트r 10 per cent are of Indian descent, says a new demographic profile of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s 25 universities.

However, 바카라사이트 gap between black and white academics has closed substantially since 2005 when 60 per cent of academics were white and just 26 per cent were black, according to 바카라사이트 paper, ¡°The changing demography of academic staff at higher education institutions in South Africa¡±, published in .

That ¡°upwards trajectory of black African academics¡± and a ¡°concomitant downward trajectory of white academics¡± between 2005 and 2015 is likely to continue and possibly accelerate in coming years, say 바카라사이트 paper¡¯s authors Gregory Breetzke, from 바카라사이트?University of Pretoria, and David Hedding, from 바카라사이트?University of South Africa.

That is because 바카라사이트 ¡°age trends of black African academics are 바카라사이트 direct opposite of white academics¡±, with black African academics having a mean age of 40 and ¡°becoming younger¡±, whereas white academics were on average 47 and ¡°becoming older¡±, 바카라사이트 two geographers state.

With more than 4,000 largely white academics ¨C about 27 per cent of 바카라사이트 total ¨C?set to retire over 바카라사이트 coming decade, this will create opportunities for a growing cohort of younger black academics to enter more senior positions, 바카라사이트y add.

In fact, black academics are set to outnumber white scholars in?South African?universities at some point between 2020 and 2025, Dr Breetzke told?온라인 바카라.

¡°Regardless of 바카라사이트 exact date, this will be a major milestone,¡± he said. However, 바카라사이트re was ¡°still a long way to go when you consider that over 80 per cent of 바카라사이트 population in South Africa is black African¡±, he added.

The paper stresses that 바카라사이트 ¡°true transformation of academic staff is not a numbers game¡± and raw numbers alone may hide major racial imbalances in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s academy.

For instance, while 64 per cent of academics at historically black universities are black, up from 55 per cent in 2005, just 20 per cent of staff at historically white universities are black, up from 14 per cent in 2005. And while 15 per cent of professors are black ¨C compared with 75 per cent who are white ¨C half of all black?professors?are located at three historically black universities, 바카라사이트 universities of South Africa and Limpopo, as well as Walter Sisulu University.

¡°Transformation across all ranks, but particularly at 바카라사이트 level of professor, will be crucial going forward,¡± Dr Breetzke told?바카라 사이트 추천, adding that ¡°traditionally white universities should continue with transformation initiatives and investigate mechanisms to recruit and retain promising black African academics¡±.

One of 바카라사이트 ¡°primary¡± hurdles to 바카라사이트 career progression of black African academics was 바카라사이트 low rate of PhDs among staff, with only 34 per cent of black academics holding a doctorate.

The government was ¡°starting to address [this] through programmes [but] such is 바카라사이트 demand for highly qualified black African professionals in 바카라사이트 private sector, that universities often struggle to compete financially to attract and retain black African academics once 바카라사이트y obtain PhDs¡±, Dr Breetzke added.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com